The 25 best things to do in Vietnam

 Story by Sneha Chakraborty

Budget Friendly: Vietnam is a great international trip for anyone on a budget. It is a backpacker-friendly destination with several hostels at affordable prices.
© Provided by Hindustan Times

1. Historical tour of the Cu Chi Tunnel in Ho Chi Minh City
2. Embrace tube-house architecture at Hanoi’s Old Quarter
3. Take a trip to Huế for a taste of the country’s royal imperial cuisine
4. Shop and savour Hu Tieu at the floating market of Cai Rang

Travel Postcard, 48 hours in Cadiz, Spain

The coastal fortress city of Cadiz is one of Spain's most attractive destinations boasting a history of almost legendary proportions.

CADIZ, Spain (Reuters) - Not as famous perhaps as other cities in the south of Spain such as Seville, Granada and Cordoba, and not as frequented by foreign tourists, the coastal fortress city of Cadiz is one of the country's most attractive destinations boasting a history of almost legendary proportions.

Founded more than 3,000 years ago, it is the oldest city in Europe and was home at different periods to an astonishing variety of civilizations from the times of the Phoenicians, to the Greeks, Visigoths, Romans, and Moors, up to the modern day.

Ten facts about Curiosity s journey to Mars

NASA's Curiosity, packed with sophisticated instruments, touched down on Mars on a quest for signs of whether the planet has evidence of past and present habitable environments. Moments after landing, Curiosity beamed back its first three images from the Martian surface, one of them showing a wheel of the vehicle and the rover's shadow cast on the rocky terrain. The craft's descent through Mars' thin atmosphere, a feat called the most elaborate and risky achievement in the annals of robotic spaceflight, turned out to be short-lived cliffhanger, much to NASA's relief. Here are a few things to know about Curiosity:

The purpose of the $2.5 billion mission is to look for evidence that Mars - the planet most similar to Earth - may have once harbored the basic building blocks necessary for microbial life to evolve. It represents NASA's first astrobiology mission since the 1970s-era Viking probes.

14 Items You Should Always Pack for a Business Trip

Packing for vacation is exciting. Just folding your swimsuits and stowing your flip flops can get you revved for the leisure days ahead. But packing for a business trip teems with a different type of excitement: anxiety. What should you bring and what can you expect?

There are 14 items you should always have on your packing list, to help prepare you for a variety of networking scenarios and remote-office challenges:

1. Business cards. This one might seem obvious--you should always have a few of your own cards at the ready when away on business--but Ivan Misner, founder of the business networking organization BNI, recommends that you also pack spare cards from your colleagues and the people you work with the most. "You should have the contact information for your referral partners," he says. "One of the best ways to network ... is to find ways to help someone. [When networking] most people try to sell to someone instead."

A Perfect Day in Paris

Paris is the most romantic city in the world, catering to a very sensory experience.

Whether you jam pack your visit with culture or simply savour the Parisian atmosphere in pavement cafés, watching the world go by, you will find something for you in the city of Paris.

Famed for its cuisine, beautiful architecture, art and romance, Paris is a city demanding to be seen. To get the most out of your visit to the French capital, check out our Paris city guide.

Top five things to do in Paris
 

Travel Picks, Top 10 cities for street food

Eating on the street is a delicious celebration of culinary heritage, the world over

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Summer holidays are definitely on by now and wherever you go there will be street food. In many countries that doesn't mean a hot dog on a bun, but a delicious celebration of culinary heritage. In honour of those mouth-watering meals abroad, the members and editors of travel website VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com) have compiled a list of the "Top Ten Best Street Food Cities." Reuters has not endorsed this list:

5 best beaches between Mumbai and Goa

Sea fort views, fish thalis and of course some of the state's best beaches -- why fly straight to Goa when the coastal route has this much to offer?

Most people love beaches. And most Mumbaikars will agree that there’s nothing like a trip to Goa to experience the state’s wonderful beaches.

But the 550-kilometer stretch of coastline that separates Mumbai and Goa isn’t exactly barren.

It has a few choice pickings of its own, depending on the style of beach you’re looking for and keeping in mind these are coastal beaches, not island idylls.

On the trail of the Snow Leopard

By Wing Commander (Retd) Partha De Sarkar

I had been planning this project for almost a year — photographing Snow Leopards and other rare Himalayan wildlife. This trip was planned as a reconnaissance, to get a lay of the land and figure out a strategy for getting good shots of each of the species on my list. On the morning of November 2, I was joined by Satyaki Ghosh (a keen wildlife photographer, former Photo Safari India client and now friend) on a Kingfisher Airlines flight bound for Leh.

The elusive Snow Leopard. Image: ThinkStock

Destination USA

U. S. travel and tourism earnings have dipped so badly since 9/ 11 that President Obama has had to flag off an initiative to get tourists back. India is a major target market of this effort. When America turned itself into an impregnable fortress in the aftermath of the 9/ 11 terror attacks, what really took a drubbing was its travel and tourism business. A report released last year by the U. S. Travel Association, the national organisation of the American travel and tourism sector, showed that the industry lost around $606 billion potential earnings since the attacks in 2001. America’s share of the global travel market too dropped from 17 per cent in 2000 to 12.4 per cent in 2010 at a time when global long- haul travel actually grew by 40 per cent. America has forgotten to promote tourism after 9/11,” the U. S. Embassy’s Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs, Jim Herman, said on the sidelines Visit USA, a travel and tourism industry seminar organised by the embassy New Delhi last week. Visitors are good for the economy and they improve people to people contact,” he added. 

Wildlife Photos, Patagonia

The magnificent wildlife of Patagonia, brought to you by National Geographic.

Patagonian Puma 
A Patagonian puma rests in tall grass at the Patagonian Institute in Punta Arenas, Chile. Pumas, known as mountain lions or cougars in North America, are among the most wide-ranging animals in the Americas. Patagonian pumas were once hunted to endangered levels by ranchers protecting sheep flocks, but government protections have helped their numbers rebound.

50 guy trips that will change your life

You've always wanted to see the world. How about starting with India? Travel should transform. Choose your destination wisely, and then the voyage, the people you meet, the cuisines you sample and the experiences you have will mean you've arrived in a whole new place-physically, spiritually, philosophically. This kind of travel isn't exactly relaxing, but is mere relaxation ever really that satisfying? Our purpose here- on these pages-is to squeeze the maximum amount of fun, fulfillment, challenge and a sense of accomplishment out of our allotted time. What better way to do that than to travel to places that don't just spell change of scene, but also stimulate a change in you? Maybe it's time to get lost, and find yourself.

Burn some rubber
For a truly fast experience, drive to Kolkata from Delhi. The 1,800-km route is an experience you'll never forget. After Agra, the road opens up, with miles of flat tarmac, zero traffic and detours through some of the most amazing country sides India has to offer. Throw in a heady stopover like Varanasi with its rustic and magical charm, and you'll have a story that will spice up any dinner-table conversation for years to come. Just carry along an interesting co-driver.

Top 10 things you shouldnot miss in Britain

10 things you can't leave Britain without trying

Wherever you travel you want to gain a unique experience; see and do things that you can't find anywhere else. With so many cultural and traditional aspects across England, Wales and Scotland there are lots of choices, but what can you buy, taste, see and do that is unique to each country in Britain and that you won't find anywhere else? We have rounded up the best of British features; those things you can't leave without trying.

10 Indian states with longest National Highways

The National Highways have a total length of 71,772 km to serve as the arterial network of the country. Here are the top states which enjoy the maximum chunk of these crucial lifelines. Information Source: NHAI website I Photos: Getty Images

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to award tolling and maintenance contracts for 3,000 km of highways for five to nine years, according to an Economic Times report.

The Government of India has already undertaken major initiatives to upgrade and strengthen National Highways through seven phases of National Highways Development project (NHDP).

The National Highways have a total length of 71,772 km to serve as the arterial network of the country. We look at the top 10 Indian states that enjoy the longest stretches of these Highways.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Top 7 British music festivals

The best of British music festivals

Britain is famously celebrated for its deep pool of talent. Whether you want a festival showcasing pop, indie, folk or 80s classics, it is without a doubt the best place to find all your favourite artists under one roof. Here are some of the greatest music festivals the British have to offer.

Glastonbury
Where? Pilton, Somerset
Since: 1970
Located in Pilton, Somerset, the festival takes place in June on Worthy Farm and, when it's not being used as a muddy pit for the festival followers, the 900 acre farmland is just your regular working farm.  Glastonbury festival first started the day after Jimi Hendrix died. This festival had an attendance of 1,500 people and now attracts annually over 135,000 excited music lovers to the fields of Somerset.  Best recognised for its contemporary music, Glastonbury festival also displays other talents such as dance, comedy, theatre and other arty acts.  It is the festival that is most associated with a family atmosphere, with a variety of acts aimed at all ages. So, whether you're 18 or 80, you can join in with that festival spirit.
FESTIVAL FACT: The cost to get into the first Glastonbury festival was £1 including free milk from the farm.

Guide to Oxbridge

10 things you must see and do in Oxford and Cambridge

Oxford and Cambridge are both towns full of history, tradition, and academic excellence. If you are planning a trip to Oxbridge to study, or even just to visit, then here are 10 things you should see and do while you're there.

OXFORD

Oxford has attracted some of the world's most academic and revolutionary minds since the 12th century, so there are many sights and attractions that mark its past residents and historical events. But don't make the mistake of thinking that Oxford is a town living in the past — while its historic elements are fascinating, it's still bustling with life, activity and excitement.

10 Lesser Known Natural Wonders Around the World

From the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan to Wulingyuan National Park in China, here are little-known natural wonders.

Take a look at ten lesser known natural wonders around the world. From mesmerizing craters ablaze for the past 40 years to an entire forest made of limestone needles in Madagascar which is so dense that’s its virtually impenetrable.

The Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan
In tenth place is ‘The Gates of Hell' in Turkmenistan, which is a crater that has been ablaze non-stop for around 40 years, caused when natural gas was set on fire.

Sringeri , the confluence of religion and beauty

My earliest memory of Sringeri goes back to my childhood, when I was probably five years old. It starts with an old black-and-white photograph, with me in ponytails standing next to my grandparents, against the backdrop of the temples at Sringeri Mutt. It was probably around the same time, I had heard about the story of Sringeri, narrated by my mother and she never tires of telling me the story again and again even today. 

More than twelve centuries ago, Hindu seer and exponent of Advaita philosophy, Ādi Śaṅkarācārya had come to Sringeri. He saw an unusual sight on the banks of the Tunga that made him realize that this place was sacred. A cobra was seen spreading out its hood over a pregnant frog protecting it from the scorching sun. He was struck by the sanctity of the area which could bring two enemies together and infuse love between them. The acharya went on to establish his very first Mutt here and dedicated it to Goddess Saraswati. He had invoked the deity and had consecrated an idol of her, which was initially made of sandalwood. He later established the guru-shishya tradition that follows till date, as pilgrims visit the town to seek the blessings of the current Shankaracharya, Jagadguru Bharati Tirtha Swamigal.

8 cool destinations to beat the summer heat

8. MUNNAR

Located at the confluence of the three rivers on the Western Ghats in Kerala is Munnar. Wrapped in a fabric of tea plantations, Munnar is a biodiversity hot spot surrounded by wildlife sanctuaries, although its habitat is now fragmented. If you are a wildlife enthusiast or a birder or just a pantheist, Munnar is the place for you.

Richard Branson reintroducing bird populations to Virgin Islands more than 100 years after they were wiped out

Virgin Media mogul Richard Branson announced through his blog that his company is in the process of reintroducing three species of birds to the British Virgin Islands. The three species—the Flamingo, the Scarlet Ibis and the Roseate Spoonbill—haven't been seen there for 100 to 150 years.

"This is the first Scarlet Ibis born in the British Virgin Islands for over 100 years" Branson writes on his blog. "They are completely different colour to their parents, which I suspect is so they are not so noticeable to predators when they are young. They turn the incredible scarlet colour after a couple of years."

15 things you did not know about the Queen

Surprising truths about Queen Elizabeth II

Members of the royal family have always maintained a low profile in terms of their personal lives, but so many royalists, fanatics and the Queen's people want to know a little bit more about what Her Royal Highness likes, dislikes and how she goes about her day-to-day life. Unlike television, film and music celebrities, we do not know every last detail about the Queen but here are 15 little nuggets of knowledge you didn't know about Her Royal Highness.

The Queen and Prince Philip are cousins

It is quite customary for royals to marry within their own family — such as Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein who married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, and Constantine II of Greece who married Princess Anne Marie of Denmark. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband The Duke of Edinburgh are in fact third cousins, as they shared the same great, great grandmother; Queen Victoria.